Great Britain and British Commonwealth Postal History - Civil Censorship - World War II
Sale No: 237
Lot No: 1486
Symbol: C
1940 to Sydney from Papua with Air Mail 5d tied 'SAMARAI ED/20DE40/PAPUA' d/s, sighted by Cairns Qld censor where '1/3/NOT/OPENED BY/CENSOR/2' diamond cachet applied on face, censored again with Sydney label & cachet alongside, a few blemishes. John Little records only two examples of the Cairns '...NOT/OPENED...' cachet.
1941 to Brisbane from Australian serviceman in Papua with Pictorials 4d Mother tied 'PORT MORESBY/ -5AP41/PAPUA' d/s, sender's name & unit at L/L with "Passed by unit censor/[signature]" manuscript in pencil on face, censored again in transit with '1/3/PASSED/BY/CENSOR/2' diamond cachet applied at Cairns Qld over unit censor, part back flap missing.
1941 to USA from civilian in Papua with airmail indicia endorsed "TO AUST" and Pictorials 2d Bird & 4d Mother tied 'PORT MORESBY/-3MY41/PAPUA' d/s paying 3d airmail surcharge to Australia plus 3d foreign surface rate, censored in transit with 'OPENED BY CENSOR' deep red/white label rouletted at top & '1/3/PASSED/BY/CENSOR/1' diamond cachet both applied at Cairns Qld.
1945 cover airmail to Scotland with Hermes 1/6d tied Sydney '14MCH/1945' cancel re-sealed with opened-out '2 Opened by Censor' red/yellow label specially-produced for use on Air Letters (and rarely seen on envelopes) affixed on back tied '2/PASSED/BY/CENSOR/507' cachet with another strike on face, couple of minor edge faults.
